The Authority of Jesus
When Jesus went to the synagogue, the people were amazed at the authority in which he taught. Other rabbis that taught in the synagogue merely quoted other teachers or interpreted what they had heard or read. Jesus taught like no one before because no other before him had come from the very presence of the Father. No other person before him had actually witnessed the events of creation and participated in building the foundation of the world. Jesus had no need of an interpretation. He did not rely on the commentaries of others to form his opinions because he knew the ultimate truth. In fact, he is the ultimate truth.
The last part of our reading tells us of an unclean spirit interrupting Jesus’ teaching. Though Jesus had left the glory of heaven and taken on humanity’s form, the demon still recognized him. It new the voice of the Son of God, even if it didn’t want to hear it. It also had no choice but to obey the command of the Messiah. Every time Jesus encountered a demon, they immediately obeyed his command. They way Jesus interacted with the demons also set him apart from all others who had gone before him. There were men and women who performed exorcisms (for a fee). They used grand theatrics to amaze the crowds and garnish more stature and respect. Jesus simply commanded and they obeyed. Everything about Jesus set him apart and highlighted the authority he possessed. We would do well to remember the authority of Christ. He is not a passive player of Christianity. He is not a side character of God’s plan. He has always had, and will always possess, ultimate authority over nature, sickness, demons, death, and our lives.
(Written by Keegan Harkins.)
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